Thousands protest in India's capital against voter roll revision
NEW DELHI: Thousands joined a protest led by opposition politicians in India’s capital on Sunday, renewing demands for the country’s election chief to resign over an overhaul of voter lists they say unfairly benefits the ruling party.
NEW DELHI: Thousands of demonstrators rallied against the Indian government's voter list revision on Sunday, with opposition politicians leading the charge. The opposition claims the changes unfairly favor the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the Election Commission maintains the revision is necessary to maintain accurate voter records.
Protesters, including Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, chanted "vote thief" and "leave your seat" as they marched from central New Delhi to the Ramlila Maidan. Nandita, a 46-year-old protester, expressed frustration over her name being removed from the voter list, emphasizing the cost of living increases and the importance of peaceful protest.
The revision has led to over 133 million names being removed from electoral lists, disproportionately affecting minorities, particularly Muslims. Critics argue the removals target undocumented Muslim migrants from Bangladesh. Human Rights Watch condemned the removal as "arbitrary and deeply flawed." The online youth-led protest movement Cockroach Janta Party has supported the campaign, with several of its leaders briefly detained by police during protests.
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